4K HDR High Lumen Projector
For home theaters with controlled ambient light, a high lumen count can produce vibrant and clear images. This is especially important for HDR content.
In our testing, this model produced a good-looking HDR image with strong color accuracy and decent shadow detail. It also handled Dolby Vision and HDR10 well enough.
1. High Brightness
The more lumens a projector is rated for, the brighter its image will be. Higher lumen counts are important for home theater projectors used in rooms with a lot of ambient light, as they can help overcome the competing light and still produce vibrant colors and crisp image details.
This bright 4K projector from Epson is an excellent option for anyone who wants a great picture in their living room, bedroom or family room without having to install a dimmer switch. It uses 3-Chip projector technology, an advanced digital imaging processor and a pixel-shift process to deliver impressive brightness, color accuracy, and image detail.
It also offers HDR support, which is important for displaying a wide range of content. This is especially true for HDR movies, which are designed to be shown at a much higher brightness than standard video content. The PX701-4K is able to display both HDR and SDR content using its TI DLP 4K UHD chip with XPR fast-switching and pixel shift technology.
In our tests, none of the preset modes delivered a satisfyingly dark black level with SDR content at default settings. However, Movie mode did provide the best balance between shadow detail and black level and gave the closest measurement to EOTF, making it my recommended default setting. This bright 4K projector also has comprehensive H/V keystone, four corner adjustment and auto V keystone capabilities for easy positioning.
2. High Contrast Ratio
The higher the contrast ratio, the more detail an image will have. Contrast ratio is defined as the difference between an image’s darkest and lightest parts. A high contrast ratio can make an image look more vibrant and lifelike. This is also known as perceived contrast. For projectors, a high contrast ratio means that dark scenes will be darker and the colors on top of them will appear brighter. This can make the image look more dramatic and create a more immersive experience.
Unfortunately, there are no projectors that can produce a truly black image (the absence of light). However, some projectors have a very high contrast autofocus 4k projector ratio, which makes them able to display more shadow and color details.
To improve the contrast ratio, manufacturers often try to increase the peak white brightness. But this usually causes the projector to reduce the brightness of the darkest parts of the image, which can negatively impact the overall image quality.
Hence, it is recommended to only buy a projector with a high contrast ratio that is optimized for home cinema viewing in a dark room. However, it is important to note that the contrast ratio of a projector is different from visual acuity, which measures how well a person can see in low light. To test your visual acuity, use an eye chart that fades from dark to light gray.
3. Wide Color Gamut
High dynamic range, or HDR, provides a much wider range of colors than standard SDR video. To deliver accurate cinematic color, a projector must support the wider color gamut of HDR content. To achieve this, a projector must be bright enough to overcome a wide range of lighting conditions. To make the most of a 4K HDR projector, look for one with a high brightness rating of 1,500 ANSI lumens or higher.
During our testing, the Hisense C1 proved to be an excellent choice. It supports a wide range of HDR formats, including both Dolby Vision lcd 14300 lumen projector and HLG. It also offers a wide range of preset picture modes to fit different viewing preferences. Its color accuracy is above average and it has a high measured contrast ratio in dark scenes. In addition, it supports a wide range of HDMI inputs, including 18 Gbps and 4K@60 Hz. Its Auto Vertical and Manual Horizontal Keystone feature counters the trapezoid effect caused by off-center projection.
The BenQ LK952 5000-Lumen HDR 4K UHD XPR Laser Projector offers a bright image that easily overcomes ambient light in many rooms. It has a 3,000,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio to keep images and text crisp and clear. Its low-dispersion lens coating minimizes chromatic aberration for sharp and detailed images. It has a versatile design and offers a 1.36 to 2.18:1 throw ratio and 1.6x zoom for a variety of installation options.
4. Wide Viewing Angle
In addition to brightness and contrast, a 4K HDR high lumen projector should also offer a wide viewing angle. This is particularly important if you plan to use the projector in a room with many windows or doors, as light from outside may affect the image. A projector with a wide viewing angle can better handle this light and still produce vibrant, detailed images.
In our testing, the Hisense L5H consistently received involuntary verbal reactions of “wow” and “can’t believe how good this looks!” It delivers excellent upscaled HD and 4K content as well as highly impressive HDR and Dolby Vision support.
As an added bonus, it supports the newer HDR10+ format, which works with a wider range of image sources than the standard HDR10. This is also becoming more common in TVs and other devices. It also supports Dolby Vision, which is a more advanced version of HDR that’s supported by a growing number of streaming services and some Blu-ray players.
The Epson Pro Cinema LS12000 is one of our top picks for a true 4K projector. It uses a pixel-shifting technology that delivers a full 4K resolution (3840×2160 pixels) on screen with an ANSI-rated brightness of 2,700 ANSI lumens and is compatible with both HDR and Dolby Vision content. It’s the first projector we’ve tested with native 4K resolution and it delivers razor sharp images with exceptional detail and a deeper black level than we’ve seen from any other pixel-shifting models.